Shaked, Rihan

Shaked, Rihan, Sunday, January 30, 2005, PMObservers: Chani R., Carmel B. (reporting)12:40 - 15:0012:40 - Shaked gate: Empty.12:50 - Rihan checkpoint: Upon our arrival, we see four detainees by the vehicle gate, on their way to the West Bank. According to them, they have been detained for about half an hour. A minute after we come, their papers are given back to them. Three of them receive passage permits and one is sent back to the seam line area.A fellow from the village of Kapeen, who holds a permit to cross through gate No 12 arrives at the Rihan gate, requesting to go through. He says that gate 12 is closed and he was directed here by the Tul Karem District Coordination Office (DCO). The soldiers wouldn't let him through. The checkpoint commander lets him in.The Tul Karem DCO tells us that gate 12 is indeed closed and all are directed toRihan. We asked them to pass on the information to the Menashe Brigade. The DCO representative who arrives at the checkpoint does not lift a finger, although his job description includes offering help wherever and whenever it is needed. But it seems that he has ample time to stand in the sun and to take pictures of the checkpoint.A van arrives at the gate, loaded with plum plants which were loaded back-to-back near Kfar Yedidya. The soldiers at first refuse to allow passage, with the argument that it is "banned." M. makes the effort to look into it, saying that they will allow passage if it is possible to inspect it. The checkpoint commander uses a magnumeter, saying that it is out of order after it didn't reveal a metal screw which he had 'planted' in one pot. Despite that the soldiers are adamant about not allowing the plants to go through. The two men in the van beg the CP commander to let them through, and he, in return, yells at them: "Are you ready to do anything? Okay, so please unload all the plants off the van." A sad scene: Two elderly men take out of the van heavy plants and in addition, they are requested to take a few of them apart. The commander is still not 100 percent satisfied. A Border Police soldier arrives at the site and helps the two reload the plants on the van and apparently urged the commander to let them through.Other than that, the inspections are efficient and the passage of people goes smoothly.